Cavs notebook: Hughes returns to role at point

Wednesday

Dec 26, 2007 at 12:01 AMDec 26, 2007 at 7:24 PM

Enough talking about fixing things. The Cavaliers want to see actual progress on the court as they look to work their way back from a sub-.500 record. “The basketball we’ve been playing hasn’t been good,” LeBron James said before the Cavs beat the Heat, 96-82, Tuesday. “The best thing you can say about this season is it’s a long season and you have opportunities to fix it. But at the same time when do you? You need to start picking things up and we have to do that soon because you don’t want to have must-win (games) going all the way down the stretch when you’re getting close to the playoffs.”

Chris Beaven

Enough talking about fixing things.
The Cavaliers want to see actual progress on the court as they look to work their way back from a sub-.500 record.
“The basketball we’ve been playing hasn’t been good,” LeBron James said before the Cavs beat the Heat, 96-82, Tuesday. “The best thing you can say about this season is it’s a long season and you have opportunities to fix it. But at the same time when do you? You need to start picking things up and we have to do that soon because you don’t want to have must-win (games) going all the way down the stretch when you’re getting close to the playoffs.”
In order to shake things up, the Cavs went back to a starting lineup that brought them success last season. Larry Hughes returned to the lineup at point guard, replacing Daniel Gibson. The rest of the starting five remained the same -- James, Sasha Pavlovic, Drew Gooden and Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
“We’re not playing well right now,” Head Coach Mike Brown said. “We had a nice run last year with that group.”
When the Cavs reeled off eight straight wins last March, this was their lineup in seven of the games. James missed one game with an injury. Those five were 16-6 together as starters last regular season and then propelled the Cavs into the NBA Finals.
Pavlovic’s contract holdout and injuries to Hughes and James have prevented that combination from starting together this season. Hughes also does not like playing point guard, and he was coming off the bench as a shooting guard the last seven games.
“I’m doing what’s best for the team and if this is best for the team and it works out, this is going to be the lineup,” Brown said. “If this does not work out, then I may have to make another change. I have a vision of what I want to do with this team and how I want to give this team an opportunity to win and ... everybody’s either on board or they’re not.”
TOUGHING IT OUT
Hughes is mired in a 16-for-68 shooting slump over the last seven games, and has moved back to starting at point guard, a position he does not like to play. But Hughes is doing his best not to get caught up in being negative. “I have to go out there and play basketball,” he said. “I just want to leave it at that. ... I just want to try and focus on getting wins, and getting this record to where it’s supposed to be.”
NO PROBLEM
Gibson emerged as a Cleveland folk hero during the playoffs last year as a star off the bench. The second-year guard didn’t complain about returning to the bench Tuesday when Brown shook up the starting lineup.
Gibson is averaging 12.7 points and is shooting 51.1 percent from 3-point range. “Whatever it takes to win,” Gibson said. “I’m 100 percent behind Coach Brown. If he feels like he wants me to start and it give us a better chance to win, I will. If he wants me to come off the bench and it gives us a better chance to win, I will. Regardless of what the situation is, I try to bring the same energy and play the same way ... whether I start or not.”
COOLING OFF
James didn’t talk after Sunday’s loss to the Warriors. It’s one of the few times James hasn’t made himself available to the media before or after a game. “I didn’t feel like talking to anybody, nobody,” James said before Tuesday’s game. He has been frustrated by the team’s recent play.
“It’s tough to stay patient, but you have to,” James said. “For me, I’m a competitor. I want to win every ballgame. I know that’s not going to happen. But that’s the way I play the game.”
SEASON GREETINGS
James hosted a large group of fans from an Akron youth group, and briefly met with them before the game.
NUMBERS WATCH
Ilgauskas moved into No. 2 all-time for rebounds as a Cavalier. His eight rebounds Tuesday gave him 4,673 for his career, passing John “Hot Rod” Williams (4,669). ... The Cavs are 4-4 all-time on Christmas Day.
Reach Canton Repository sports writer Chris Beaven at (330) 580-8345 chris.beaven@cantonrep.com.

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